I am new here

Hello. I am new here. I have had my original two hermit crabs for a year and seven months now. My first two pet hermit crabs are both male PPs and named Sequel and Calamari. I got them in May of 2009. Then, later that summer, I got my next two: Tiny (male E) and Zariah (female E).

Tiny died during a molt. He was very small.

Shortly after Tiny's passing, I was looking in a pet store with my then fiance and another friend and my friend bought me a large hermit crab that we named Nairobi. I'm not sure what type of crab Nairobi was-she was pretty big and the substrate in the pet store was not very deep at all. I was worried about her when I put her in my tank after ISOing her for a bit because I had my substrate very deep for her. She started to bury herself and mostly made it, but the top of her shell was visible because she didn't dig deep enough. After about a week or so, Calamari started to try and dig around her, so I put something over her so he couldn't get to her. After about another week, I started smelling something and decided to softly dig the topsoil to see if I could find anything. I know you aren't supposed to dig, but I read you are if you smell something. So, I started to dig and saw little white bug-like things. I kept digging and saw more white but-like things. By that time, I realized that she wasn't going to make it. I found her dead about 3 minutes later.

A couple months later I decided to buy another hermie. I was trying to find a name for him, and I decided to let them out in my living room. I was keeping a close eye on them, but someone walked in and stepped on him-she didn't see him. He lived for about 2 days after that. His name was Squiplop in memory of his passing.

I haven't bought any more hermit crabs since Squiplop's incident. I currently have my original 2: Sequel and Calamari (male PPs) and Zariah (female E).

I recently read that you should keep 2 of each species and I have 2 PPs so I am thinking about looking for another E for Zariah to have a friend.

Besides hermit crabs, I just got married to the love of my life. He is a computer science major. We are newlyweds and I love being married. I am a music major. My major instrument is the bassoon.

welcome, well maybe you will have better luck this time around! I just lost a crab from post stress from a molt, and have lost 1 other in the past from me stressing it by going and looking for it cause back then I didn't know much about molting. My opinion is I wouldn't be putting them out on the floor anymore, for safty issues and them being out of their " conditions" for to long or munching fibers. again just my opinion. people on here are super friendly!

@ Jellybean: Since that time, I have switched the substrate from EE to a play sand/ natural beach sand mixture. My brother and his wife went to the beach and brought me back some beautiful sand. I mixed it with the play sand from Wal-Mart and the hermies seem to love it. I also have not had any more mites since I have switched, or any other type of bug for that matter.

I just re-did my tank last night and re-made a second level. Zariah loves to climb, and convinced the other two to explore the new levels with her. They have had much fun with it.

I have a question though. I added a cork climbing wall with the ends of toothpicks stuck in it like a natural tack sort-of. I used 3M poster hangers to attach the cork climbing wall to the wall of my 10G tank. Well, 3M doesn't do well with humidity and the climbing wall started to come off of the side of the tank. Any ideas on how to get stuff to stick to the side of the tank that is flatter than a suction cup??

Also, Calamari started munching on the cork, even though I had plenty of food for them out. It made him take many poops in his 'cork munching' spot. Is that bad for him to eat the cork?? I wasn't sure, but I took out the climbing wall for now, until I made sure.

I don't know bout the cork but I had to laugh at the name of the crab! Welcome!!! I know alot people use the command hooks, you really have clean the glass good first but heard the stick , I have tried all sorts of theings in the tank even hot glue gun and guess what, it pops off!
wal mart has play sand? Wow down here they don't or I just hand some lazy person who didn't want to go look!

I actually used to use hot glue because it was removable when you wanted it to be. Thank you for mentioning that because I couldn't think of hot glue when I was doing some editing to the 2nd level last night.

With the 3M stickies what did you clean the glass with?? I just wiped it off real good.

I think some one on here said they have used rubbing alcohol? just use it where you are going to use the command strip. I don't see why if you just used really hot water and wiped it off & made sure it was dry, why they wouldn't stick.

Not in this instance. It will dissipate leaving no odor or any residue behind, only a very clean surface free of any build-up of a film that sometimes occurs.
It will also be covered by the hook.

I don't know if another method would work or not with these 3M hooks.
From personal experience, I just haphazardly applied the alcohol and didn't wait the recommended time on the directions when I applied another hook. Unfortunately it didn't stick and I couldn't re-use the sticky tab :BangHead:.
From that time on I followed the directions and waited the recommended time afterward (that was a killer), and I never had another problem.
Some have been up over a year now and none have ever failed.

They are so simple to remove should you change your mind. I bought a packet of sticky tabs for replacements so I can re-use the hook.
They are a little pricey...but in the long run for me, they have been well worth the price. :flower: